Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Quentin Bryce Prime minister: Julia Gillard
Population
6,961,049
22,015,576
Life Expectancy
63.170 years
81.900 years
Capital City
Canberra
Largest city
Lome (population: 749,700)
Sydney (population: 4,394,580)
Human Development Index
0.479
0.965
GDP per capita
$40,800 US
Literacy Rate
60.9%
99%
Corruption Perception Index
2.7
8.7
Percentage of Women in Parliament
11.1%
29.6%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Frank Lowy & family ($2.7bn US)
Unemployment Rate
5.100%
Death Penalty
Abolished in practice
Abolished
Political System
republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
federal parliamentary democracy
Independence date
1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
Religions
Christian 29%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 51%
Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian 20.5%, Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none 15.3% (2001 Census)
Languages
French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)
English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census)
Exports
coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
External Debt
$1,376,000,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.2059 (2008 est.), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
3.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
46
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana
Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
Area
56,785 km sq
7,741,220 km sq
Coastline
56 km
25,760 km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
